No cook meals

The recent heat wave has got me coming up with recipes that do not require me to turn any part of my stove on. The following are a collection of no-cook recipes, great for when it is too hot or you just don’t feel like cooking.

Polenta Lasagna

Mix a container of ricotta cheese with 1 tablespoon of grated Romano cheese and a pinch each of basil, salt and pepper. Slice a precooked log of polenta into ¼ inch rounds and arrange in a single layer in a microwave-safe dish coated in cooking spray. Top each round with a dab of jarred eggplant caponata and a dollop of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and microwave until warmed through.

Antipasto Kabobs

Cut up 8 oz. each ham, salami, soppresata, and provolone cheese into bite-size cubes. Alternately thread onto skewers along with pitted Spanish and black olives and cherry tomatoes. Serve with sliced Italian bread and Italian dressing for dipping.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Coarsely shred up the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Combine with one cup barbeque sauce and ¼ cup water in a bowl. Microwave until hot. Spoon chicken mixture onto split Kaiser rolls and top with a spoonful of deli coleslaw.

Greek Pizza

Spread your favorite flavor of hummus (I use Sabra garlic flavor) evenly onto 2 uncut toasted pita rounds. Top with shaved oven-roasted turkey, jarred roasted red peppers, sliced Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. Cut into wedges to serve.

Guacamole Tostada

In a food processor, puree a can of cannelloni beans with a splash of lime juice. Transfer to a bowl and add some canned chopped jalapeno peppers, fresh cilantro leaves, diced sweet onion, diced tomato and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Mash in a chopped avocado by hand. Spread mixture onto hard corn tostadas and arrange store-bought rotisserie chicken strips on top. Serve with sour cream.